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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27601672">Nightmare</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfNewOrleans22/pseuds/QueenOfNewOrleans22'>QueenOfNewOrleans22</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Guns N' Roses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Nightmares</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:07:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27601672</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfNewOrleans22/pseuds/QueenOfNewOrleans22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Slash has a nightmare, and Duff comforts him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Duff McKagan/Slash</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nightmare</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You know." Duff said conversationally as he lay in bed, blonde hair messy, but eyes shining in unsaid happiness. "I never thought that I would be sleeping in bed with another guy." He shivered a little bit, as if in anticipation. </p><p>Slash stood up and finished getting undressed, standing there in a pair of boxers and smiling. "Well, there's a first time for everything." He said. </p><p>The night was unbroken. They were alone. And, for the first time in forever, they were both on the same page. </p><p>Slowly, feigning calmness when his heart was racing in fear, Slash walked over toward the bed. He reached out, and Duff leaned toward, pulling him into bed with ease. "I, also, never thought that I would having sex with my best friend." Duff added after a moment of silence. </p><p>"And that's something that we can agree on." Slash replied. </p><p>-\- </p><p>
  <em>They were on stage, underneath the bright, flashing lights. Axl was singing to the awaiting crowd, all of whom seemed to be screaming in untamed happiness. Izzy was off to the side, strumming his chords. Steven was happily pounding away on his drums. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>It seemed like every other night, because it was. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Slash smiled through his hair, feeling at home with his guitar and Duff by his side. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Everything was going well - or, as well as things could be, in their position. Duff suddenly stopped, his fingers stilling on his bass. Something seemed to change in his facial expression - once bright with happiness, he now looked angry. He moved away from Slash with an angry snarl distorting his face, giving him a look akin to a monster from a movie, except he was much for terrifying. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Duff?" Slash said, backing away. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>All of a sudden, Slash didn't have his guitar anymore, and his hands were grasping at thin air. Everybody was looking at him - Axl, Izzy, Steven - and their eyes were blank and dark. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>It scared Slash, and he stumbled backwards, but then Duff was there, and his hands were rough as they grabbed Slash's upper shoulders and pulled him toward carelessly. "Are you scared?" Duff hissed, but it wasn't him - no, this was just some monster, because - </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"ARE YOU SCARED?" Duff wrenched Slash foward and tossed him to the ground like a rag doll. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Unsure of what to say in response, Slash could only grit his teeth together and try to get his legs underneath him, but he suddenly felt so, so tired and he couldn't move anymore. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Duff stalked toward Slash, and grabbed him viciously by the hair. "Answer me." He demanded. "Are. You. Scared?" He hissed. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Sucking in a desperate breathe as his chest constricted in warning, Slash nodded. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Good." Duff smiled, slowly and cruelly, showing off his sharp, gleaming teeth. "I want you to be scared." He grabbed Slash's ankles and, without warning, started pulling him back towards him. Slash yelped and tried to push himself backwards, but there was no use. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>This wasn't Duff, but despite that, the sting of betrayal lingered when Duff pulled the younger man close enough to straddle his hips. Slash tried to fight, but, without care, Duff grabbed his wrists and pinned them to the ground. Duff leaned low, his lips twisted into a snarl. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Look at you." Duff's voice was distorting, becoming deeper. "How can anybody love someone so small, so weak?" He pushed Slash into the ground, making Slash wince as his bones dug into the floor of the stage. "How could you even think that I could be attracted to you?" </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Slash knew that it wasn't true, but yet, it made his eyes burn in threat of tears, and he bit his bottom lip to keep himself in check. "This is a dream." He said. "This isn't real." </em>
</p><p><em>"Oh, but it is." Duff leered.</em> "<em>How could you expect anybody to love you?" </em></p><p>
  <em>The world faded away. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Least of all me." Duff added, almost as a careless afterthought. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>-\- </em>
</p><p>Slash lurched up with a gasping cry, the lingering feeling of a harsh grip on his upper arms, his heart beating so fast that it was hard to breathe. He was soaking wet with sweat, or maybe it was tears, because his eyes were burning and - </p><p>"What's wrong?" Duff asked, and his voice was so, so sweet. </p><p>So unlike the man in the dream previous. </p><p>"N - no." Slash flinched when fingers grazed his back, but they were effortlessly gentle. He wiped at his eyes, but the tears dripped down his face, fell onto the blanket. </p><p>Duff's hands were steady as he placed them upon Slash's shoulders. "Breathe." </p><p>"I <em>can't." </em>Slash felt pathetic - just crying there, like a child. </p><p>"Yes, you can. You're talking, aren't you?" Duff brushed aside Slash's hair and tucked it behind his ear. "Calm down, babe. I got you. Just a nightmare, wasn't it?"</p><p>Slash felt himself nod, suddenly enveloped in a warm embrace, his head tucked underneath Duff's chin. Duff began to stroke his bare back, trying to console him with steady calmness. "It's alright." He whispered. </p><p>Gritting his teeth together, Slash felt a few more tears fall down his face. He sniffed noisily, and then moved his arms up so that he could wrap them around Duff's neck. "You were - it was so fucking terrible." He said hoarsely. "You were saying - talking about how nobody could ever love me. It felt so <em>real." </em>The confession slipped past his lips without a care in the world, and Slash cursed himself, burying his wet face against Duff's neck. </p><p>Duff's hands moved to Slash's hair, entangling themselves deep in the roots and stroking gently. "I don't see how anybody could <em>not </em>love you." Duff said, pressing a firm kiss to the top of Slash's head. "You're fucking great." The smile could be heard in his voice. </p><p>"Just a dream, Slasher." Duff said reassuringly. </p><p>Slash nodded, and allowed himself to be directed down back onto the bed. The pillow was soft underneath his head and Duff was so warm, and it was hard to resist, so Slash didn't. Duff pulled him close against his chest, and Slash reached out, feeling like he was risking everything, and he grabbed Duff's hand - and Duff took it. </p><p>"Thanks." Slash mumbled. </p><p>And Duff smiled. "No problem." </p>
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